THE ENCOUNTER AT L-18
Delhi Police claim to have "worked out" the Delhi Blasts case: but the following questions cry for answers:
It is claimed that Atif is the "mastermind" behind the blasts, and the conspiracy was hatched in 2005. (Atif must have been 21 years of age at the time). Now look at if from the point of view of Atif being the "mastermind":
Is there evidence to show that Atif lived in Delhi for any considerable length of time? If so, when?
Nothing so far points to the fact that Atif received training in terrorist activities, if he did, where and when?
It has not yet been clarified who was behind the E-mail sent purportedly on behalf of "Indian Mujahideen" claiming responsibility for the blasts.
If the same suspects (two of whom have been killed in the "encounter") caused the Ahmedabad blasts, who were their local contracts and where did they get the raw material (not to speak of the know how) to make those explosive devices.
More than 30 "unexploded" bombs were found in Surat and other parts of Gujrat, but the names of these boys are not being associated with those. WHY?
It has not yet been clarified why these suspects felt the need to have "Police Verification" for themselves immediately after Ahmedabad blasts and a month prior to Delhi blasts for which they provided their genuine particulars.
It is claimed that Atif was being helped by Lashkar-e-Toiba, and the connections of Indian Mujahideen have been taken right up to Al-Qaeda, and Delhi Police seems to have unearthed all this almost overnight; which means that not only Indian Mujahideen but several other "modules" of Lashkar-e-Toiba had been active in the country without any of the intelligence agency being wiser.
Before every Independence day (as on other occasions of national importance) the Intelligence Bureau submits a detailed report to the Union Home Ministry as well as the Delhi Police outlining the security profile and threat perception including any possible or apprehended terrorist strike. It is quite obvious that no such report mentioning any entity called "Indian Mujahideen" was submitted by the IB or any other security/intelligence agency.
At the time of the alleged "encounter", Inspector M.C.Sharma received bullet injuries to which he later succumbed. It was said that the Inspector was shot 3-4 times in the abdomen. Eyewitnesses, however, claim that when the injured inspector was escorted to a vehicle (he remained on his feet) by two of his colleagues, there was no blood or gunshot marks on his white shirt front.
It has not been alleged that the "terrorists" fired from an AK-47. In fact it has not been specified as to who shot Inspector M.C.Sharma and with what weapon. Was he possibly shot by one of the two terrorists who "escaped" the police net.
Inspector M.C.Sharma might have been caught in the crossfire during the shootout and it is quite possible that he received bullets in his back fired by his own colleagues.
It is claimed that Atif had planned to explode 20 "bombs" in Nehru Place market, and yet no explosives or other requisite material has been seized/recovered from the possession of the suspects and/or from L-18. Nor has it been clarified that where from the material used in the explosion was procured and where exactly these explosive devices assembled. A lot of money is required for such operations. Where did it come from?
Who accompanied the raiding police party to identify the suspects. (It is on record that all suspects were identified after the "encounter").
Did these "terrorists" carry/own mobile phones? If yes, where are they to whom the sim cards have been traced, if at all? What did the police learn from the phone records. (It also goes without saying that if the IB had maintained dossiers on these suspects, as has been claimed today, their phone might, as they should, have been tapped. And yet they were successful in their devious plans)
Are Al-Qaeda and the dreaded Lashkar-Toiba active here in India? If so, for what objective?
It is an incontrovertible fact that terrorist activities require training and resources of a very high order. If young boys having a humble family and economic background like the present suspects are being exploited/used for such terrorist strikes, the objective has to be not only enormous but highly destructive for the country. Now who stands to gain in the long run from such inhumanly criminal activities is the biggest question to be addressed for a solution to the problem of terrorism in the country.